James Thurman Butts Jr. (born August 1, 1953) is an American politician, currently serving as the mayor of Inglewood, California. He rose through the ranks of law enforcement in Inglewood during the 1970s and 1980s, eventually becoming a Deputy Chief. He then worked as the Chief of Police in Santa Monica, California from 1991 to 2006. Butts then took a public safety position with Los Angeles World Airports in 2006. He was elected mayor of Inglewood in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 with an 84% vote. He led efforts to renovate and reopen The Forum and develop a plan for SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Hollywood Park.
Early life
Butts Jr. was born and raised in Los Angeles. According to James Butts, he lost an opportunity for a basketball scholarship to go to Cal State-Los Angeles in his youth, due to an injury. To pay for college, he worked part-time at the Inglewood Police Department as the division's second African American cadet. It later turned into a full-time job. Butts received an MBA degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Los Angeles.
Professional career
Law enforcement career
James Butts joined the police force of Inglewood, California, in 1972. He held several positions as a police officer, commander of a SWAT team, an undercover officer, and homicide detective. Butts was promoted to Sergeant in 1981, to Lieutenant in 1984, and then to Commanding Officer of the narcotics division in 1986. He led a team of 30 undercover agents that helped reduce drug trafficking in the Dixon-Darby and Lockhaven neighborhoods. In 1986, Butts was promoted to Chief of Operations and became the first African American at that level within a South Bay, California, police department.
In 1991, Butts moved to Santa Monica to accept a job as the city's Chief of Police, a position he served until 2006. During Butts's tenure, crime was reduced by 64 percent. Early in his tenure, Butts conducted a month-long crime assessment at the request of the city council. In his assessment, Butts concluded that drug dealing and violent crime at Palisades Park could be reduced by enforcing a city ordinance against sleeping in public parks. The city ordinance had been controversial; its enforcement was opposed by city attorney Robert M. Myers, who refused to prosecute homeless people arrested for violating the ordinance. This made it difficult for Butts to enforce it, since those arrested would not be prosecuted.
In 1995, Butts was one of five police officers named as a defendant in a lawsuit alleging the police department was engaging in forceful questioning that violated Miranda rights. In 2000, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the police officers were accountable for Miranda violations, despite arguments by the police officers that they qualify for immunity since they were trained that continued questioning was allowed.
During Butts's tenure as Chief of Police, one of his direct reports was Eric Uller, the department's lead systems analyst who was accused of sexual abuse by over 200 people, many of whom were children at the time. Despite not being a law enforcement officer, Uller was given an unmarked police vehicle for his personal use, which was considered by others in the department to be improper, and he allegedly used it to transport victims and commit his crimes. Although many former Santa Monica employees told investigators in 2018 that they reported Uller's misconduct, Butts claimed in 2023 that "he was never made aware of any allegations against Uller." The city of Santa Monica paid out nearly $230 million in settlements to Uller's victims.
In 2006, Butts took a position as the head of security and law enforcement for Public Safety Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). According to the Los Angeles Times, Butts improved training and discipline at LAWA and fostered better relationships with local law enforcement agencies. In 2009, the TSA named LA International Airport as the most secure Cat X airport in the United States.